In the spring of 1992 author Jeanie Aspen (daughter of Alaskan adventurers Constance and Bud Helmericks) set out with her husband Tom, their 6-year-old son Luke, and friend Laurie Schacht for fourteen months alone in Alaska's remote Brooks Range. Flown into the wilderness, the four strive to gain a foothold before winter reclaims the land, a hundred miles from the nearest other people. The following summer they face a perilous 600-mile downriver canoe journey back to the world they left behind. As professional artists, Tom and Jeanie readily incorporate the camera into family life, candidly recording their struggles and triumphs against the awesome beauty of America's last great wilderness. Each member of the small family shares honestly the challenges of this new life. Luke's entries are charming and poignant as we watch him mature under the tutelage of arctic wilderness. Extraordinary historic footage of Jeanie as a child in the Brooks Range adds depth to this story of pioneer spirit and evolving relationships.